And she went on: "(The mother) was unable to make any kind of break between herself (and the father)."

Mrs Justice Pauffley said she realised that orders she had made meant permanent separation between children and natural parents and were the "most serious kind of state intervention".

And the judge said on a "human level" she had sympathy with the couple.

"Neither of them had the kind of start in life which anyone would want for a child," she added. "They never had the foundation which might have enabled them to provide adequately for any of their three children."

Mrs Justice Pauffley said she made care orders following applications from local authority social workers.